


Ache

by ZedElla (Leviarty)



Series: The Story of Lorne [3]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Episode Related, M/M, pre-Lorne/Parrish, pre-Sheppard/McKay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-05
Updated: 2015-08-05
Packaged: 2018-04-13 01:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4502139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leviarty/pseuds/ZedElla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>takes place during and around Runner</p>
    </blockquote>





	Ache

**Author's Note:**

> takes place during and around Runner

“How’s our fair city doing, Major?” Sheppard asked when he returned from Earth. He leaned in the doorway of their shared office – almost identical to Weir’s, except for the difference of decoration. Evan had briefly wondered if Sheppard had shared this office with Ford before the siege, but after a moments thought and examination of the barren room, he realized that it was unlikely that Sheppard had set foot in the office no more than a handful of times over the last year. “Regretting your transfer yet?”

“Not for a moment, sir,” he said with a smile. “How was Earth?”

“Hmm. Too far from home.”

“Can’t have been all bad.”

“No. I particularly liked the part where lots of high ranking officers offered me commendation and a promotion through poorly hidden disgust.” From anyone else, the statement might have come along with some bitterness, but Sheppard seemed to take obscene pleasure in being a pain in the ass, defying orders and getting shit done. It was pure luck (and a little favoritism) that it didn’t backfire in his face this time.

“Yes, I hear congratulations are in order, Lt. Colonel.”

“Thank you, Major. Well, back to business, I suppose. What have you got for me?”

“You sure you don’t want to rest from your flight?”

“Most of my flight was rest. I’ll take what you’ve got.”

Lorne handed him a tablet, on which he had loaded all the information he’d gathered.

Sheppard took the tablet and sat down in his chair, his feet propped on the desk. He read in silence for a while.

“What’s on P3M-736?”

“Dangerously high solar radiation and plants.”

“And it’s near the top of you ‘interesting planets’ list because?”

Lorne shrugged. “Parrish wants to go.”

“Isn’t he the one who brought the alien pot?”

“In his defense, he had no idea what it would do.”

“And neither did you, until you started burning it.” Sheppard laughed. He’d been informed of the incident weeks ago, during the scheduled check in with Earth, but it still seemed the funniest thing to him.

“Am I never going to live this down?”

“Unlikely. Alright, I’ll approve the mission. Got a team picked out yet?”

“Page eleven.”

Sheppard swiped a few times. “Excellent. Then you’ll have no problem providing security for Dr. Parrish.”

“Oh goodie, plants.”

Sheppard smirked.

*

His favorite thing about sharing orgasms with John was just how uncomplicated it was. It wasn’t a relationship, but he wouldn’t label their situation as friends-with-benefits or fuck-buddies (Evan cringed at the memory of hearing those words come out of David’s mouth). He didn’t think there was an appropriate word.

“I don’t think I’ve ever received a congrats-on-your-unlikely-promotion quite as good as that,” Sheppard said with a laugh. Evan was quickly realizing that that promotion came up in _every_ conversation, even days after his return to Atlantis, and even longer since the actual promotion.

“Always eager to please my superiors, Colonel.”

“Mmm. So if Caldwell had succeeded in taking command, I can assume you would be in his quarters right now?”

“You bet your perky white ass, sir.” Which of course, was a lie, because Caldwell wasn’t such fun to be around, and Evan had no desire to discover what he was like in bed.

“Join me for a morning run?” he asked, pulling his pants over his hips.

“Sure. What time?”

“0630?”

“You have awfully high expectations, don’t you?”

“Do I? Or did you just get a little too comfortable with no one to keep you in line?”

“And that’s your job, huh? Keeping me in peak military shape?”

“Someone’s gotta do it. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

He gave John a quick kiss before leaving his quarters.

*

In the morning, they ran until Sheppard slyly guided them to the mess hall, where an odd assortment of alien vegetables and earth slop was being served. Evan filled his plate and sat down first, across from Cadman, while Sheppard sat with Dr. McKay.

“Ooh, was that a cold shoulder? Do I need to beat someone up?” Cadman asked.

Evan rolled his eyes. “What have you been up to?”

“Teyla taught me some Athosian sparring yesterday. I’m all kinds of sore and it’s awesome.”

“You’re psychotic.”

She shrugged. “I mean, I’ve never been a huge fan of hand-to-hand, but it was still fun.”

Evan translated this to mean that she much preferred forms of combat that allowed explosives. He still thought she was insane.

*

His day went by smoothly – most days did. Atlantis was, by far, the most relaxed position he’d ever held. Barring off-world missions, most of his day job allowed him to do damn well whatever he pleased, so long as he was available should the need arise. He did have to make regular trips around the populated sections, check that the scientists weren’t getting themselves in too much trouble, and file brief reports on daily activity. There really was no such thing as on-duty or off-duty, just asleep or not-asleep (being asleep did not excuse him from being present when shit hit the fan, though it had yet to do so).

In the afternoon, he joined Cadman for a little sparring, despite his better judgment.

He should have listened to the voice in his head that told him it was a bad idea.

“Ow,” he groaned after hitting the floor.

“Come on, Major,” she said, bouncing around a little. “Gotta keep your eyes on me.”

“My eyes were on you. Just not on your feet,” he said, rising, his bantos rods drawn.

She swung at him, each motion colliding with his rods. When he lunged to attack her in return, she ducked, jabbing him in the ribs, and sweeping his feet out from under him again.

“Dammit,” he said as she did a little victory dance. The dance passed just a little too close to his feet, and he took the opportunity to trip her.

“Hey! Not fair.”

“Do the Wraith fight fair?” he asked.

*

When it finally neared sunset, he approached Parrish’s lab. “You ready?” he asked. By some extreme coincidence, the days on P3M-736 were nearly aligned with Atlantis, and as such, sunset here, meant safe to go there.

Parrish grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder, then followed Lorne up to the gateroom, where his newly formed team waited.

*

It wasn’t like Lorne disliked exploring unpopulated alien planets – he actually enjoyed it, liked traipsing through the unknown, even liked a little monotony. But he had expected a little more than wandering through the forest in the middle of the night because of plants. Had expected that maybe his first mission in Pegasus might have a little more meaning.

Parrish, of course, was fascinated. Every few feet he found something new and incredible. His pure excitement made the mission almost bearable for Evan.

Right up until they discovered a dead Wraith, that was. Lorne felt a rush of excitement, mixed with the need to get Parrish back to Atlantis.

“Come on, Doc, let’s get you back to the gate,” he said, grabbing Parrish’s uniform with his pinky, and giving a little tug.

“I… I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I.”

Everything that followed happened quickly – getting the team and the dead Wraith back to the city, then heading back out to search for Lt. Ford.

Prior to now, Lorne hadn’t actually met McKay – he’d seen him around the SGC a couple times (always following Carter around like a lost, arrogant puppy), in the mess on Atlantis, and most recently, in Weir’s office. It didn’t escape his notice that the scientist had feel the need to size him up, puff out his chest in some display of aggression or dominance. He was used to guys sizing him us – which was its own kind of frustrating because he wasn’t even _that_ short, but something about McKay’s body language was off-putting.

So of course Sheppard paired them up to start the search.

“And Major, you’ve got McKay.”

“Ooh, lucky me.” Twenty minutes passed and he was certain he would never forgive the Colonel for this gross betrayal.

*

The Wraith stunner left him with the worst headache imaginable, but in the end, they all mad it back to Atlantis okay – all but Ford.

“So, you and McKay,” he said, after an hour’s thought on the subject.

“What about McKay?” Sheppard asked, not bothering to look up from his computer.

“You guys having sex or what?”

“Who have you been talking to? Because your information is wildly inaccurate.”

Lorne held his hands up in defense. “Just something Parrish mentioned, that’s all. Said you two had a thing.”

“Nope, no thing,” Sheppard said.

“But you want it to be a thing.”

“Doesn’t really matter, does it? It’s not happening.”

“Just a little surprised is all. He is probably the most impossible human I’ve ever met. I guess you see something different.”

“Like your Dr. Parrish is so personable.”

“Well, Parrish is kind of odd, not a total asshole, but more importantly, I’m not in love with him.”

“And I’m not in love with McKay.”

“Okay, okay. I only asked to make sure I wasn’t stepping on any toes.”

“I assure you, you’re not.”

They were probably both lying.


End file.
